By the early 1820s, Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) was at the peak of his creative powers. He operated his own studio, had numerous pupils and demand for his work was consistently high.

Japanese Woodblock Prints (1680-1938), by Andreas Marks.622 pagesTASCHEN, Art.

Without much apparent effort, he churned sketches by the hundreds, for books or single-sheet woodblock prints. His subjects of predilection were kabuki actors and coquettish belles, but in his long career, he touched upon a cornucopia of themes. Not yet 40, he was already well on his way to becoming the most successful print designer — if not the most original — in the entire history of ukiyo-e.